


Speak Now

by the_only_education_worth_having



Series: Advent Calendar of Fics [7]
Category: The Office (US)
Genre: F/M, Kisses, Love, Song fic, Wedding, public affirmations of love, stopping weddings, unspoken feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:15:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27955253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_only_education_worth_having/pseuds/the_only_education_worth_having
Summary: I hear the preacher say speak now or forever hold your piece.
Relationships: Karen Filippelli/Jim Halpert, Pam Beesly/Jim Halpert
Series: Advent Calendar of Fics [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2042707
Kudos: 12





	Speak Now

**Author's Note:**

> Speak Now - Taylor Swift

The church was beautiful Pam had to admit it. It was ostentatious and extravagantly decorated and even if it wasn’t her style Pam knew it would look gorgeous in wedding pictures, Karen had picked right. As she stood in the foyer she spied through the heavy wooden doors to the church which was jammed packed full of people. Karen’s family lined one side. The women were dressed in pastel dresses and pantsuits with the occasional punctuation of black and blue from them men’s suits. Jim’s side was the same except she could make out different faces in the crowd she recognised in the groom’s side. She could see Stanley and his wife sat together towards the back alongside Phyllis and Bob. She could see Dwight and Angela in what she could only assume was a whispered row. Oscar was sat with his new boyfriend whilst Kevin chatted their ears off. All her friends were there and she wasn’t.

See, she had been disinvited over a week since. Karen had shown up at her house and asked her not to come to the wedding. She had argued that Jim was her friend and she should be invited as he had asked her but she had insisted she couldn’t come. Pam had thought about it for the past week and she was right. She shouldn’t have come to the wedding but the wedding shouldn’t have been happening anyway. Jim didn’t love Karen. He loved her. And she loved him even if she had realised it too late. Now she couldn’t let it go. She couldn’t let Jim go. If he wanted to marry Karen she would let him but he had to know he had options, right?

She heard movement coming from the room off of the foyer and the opening of a door so she darted forward and sat down at the back of the pew next to a couple of people she didn’t recognise. She watched as one of the bridesmaids came out of the bridal room and walked down the aisle towards the altar. Then she saw him. _Jim_.

He looked so handsome. He was dressed in a simple suit with a skinny green tie which made is hazel eyes pop. His hair was slicked back with gel which made him look more serious than ever though the big goofy grin he was sporting as he spoke with his best man betrayed him. Pam chuckled to herself.

She watched as the bridesmaid, who was sporting a poorly shaped dress that matched Jim’s tie, walked up to him and chatted indistinctly. There was some gestures and words exchanged before she nodded and headed back up the aisle. Pam turned quickly to the couple next to her and started chatting to them quickly so she wouldn’t be noticed as the woman walked past. Last thing she wanted was to be thrown out. As she past Pam took a little look around to check the coast was clear and as she did she locked eyes with Jim. She didn’t know if he knew she was not invited and she couldn’t tell if the conflicted look on his face was confusion or upset that she was wasn’t supposed to be here. She smiled as she eyed him and he smiled back though it seemed sadder than usual. She wanted to go up and tell him that it was okay, that if he wanted to get married he should and if he didn’t she was here and ready to eave if that was what he wanted. She wanted to leave the cold wooden pew and run into his arms and she almost did just that until the wedding music started and the crowd went quiet.

As they rose for the bride Pam followed suit though she dropped her gaze to the floor feeling the sting of tears in her eyes. She heard the sound of shoes moving past her on the hard tile floor as the bridesmaids made their way down the aisle. She kept her gaze lowered, trying not to be spotted, until she heard the oohs and aahs of the congregation. She looked up and spotted Karen as she floated down the aisle looking gorgeous as ever. Her dad held onto her, beaming with pride as the two walked down the aisle arm in arm before he handed her off to Jim.

He smiled at his bride though it was not the beaming smile Pam was used to receiving. It seemed forced and unnatural. As the priest started the crowd took their seats once more and the ceremony began. Pam could barely pay attention. As the priest rattled on Pam was lost in her memories of Jim. They’d spent every day together, laughed at every joke and prank and fallen in love yet she hadn’t realised until it was too late. She had called off her engagement too late. And now she was here, watching him marry someone else.

She came to as she heard the priest utter the words, ‘if there is anyone here who knows why these two should not be married speak now or forever hold there piece.’

There was an eerie silence before the priest started to move on before he stopped and looked towards Pam. She hadn’t noticed that she had stood up, drawing all eyes onto her. Her work colleagues whispered amongst themselves as she stood there but her eyes were on Jim only who was watching her with a small smirk on his face.

‘Pam,’ Karen said incredulously as her gaze flitted between Pam and the priest looking for answers.  
‘I’m sorry,’ Pam started, ‘I know I shouldn’t be here-’  
‘No you shouldn’t. You were disinvited remember?’ Karen said with a scoff.  
‘Karen,’ Jim said softly.

‘I shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t be barging in on your wedding like this but I’ve got something to say. Jim, I shouldn’t be barging in on your wedding but THIS shouldn’t be your wedding. You shouldn’t be getting married today because Karen is not the right girl for you. She’s amazing I know that but she’s not who you should be with. I realised that too late I know. I broke up with Roy too late but I did it because he wasn’t who i wanted to spend the rest of my life with. You are. You spent the past three years six feet away from me and I failed to see the best things about you because I was playing it safe.’

‘Pam,’ Jim said softly. His grin was wide but unsure as she spoke, like he wanted to hear the words so much but was scared that she was uttering them.

‘And that was wrong of me but I know what I want now, so I’m asking you not to marry her. Don’t marry her. Don’t say yes and run away with me now. I’ll wait by the front door and if you want we can leave together now and not look back. And if you don’t want that, if you want to get married to Karen then fine. I’ll accept that and I wish you both the best-’ Pam finished with a shaky voice as she seemed to come to realise that the whole crowd was watching not just Jim who her gaze had been fixed on. She wiped her brow and walked out of the row her heartbeat thumping in her ears. There was a murmur of chatter as she went that was being attempted to be quietened by the priest.

When she was outside she waited nervously by the door waiting for her fate. After five minutes of fretting, there was a movement from the church door and it opened to reveal Jim who stepped out nervously still dressed in his tux. When he spotted her there he smiled and strode five giant paces until he reached her.

‘I didn’t know-’ before she could finish she was cut off by Jim who picked her up and held her flat against him as he kissed her deeply.  
‘I love you,’ he said as he pulled back, ‘and you were right. I liked Karen but she’s not the one for me.’  
‘I’m glad I could help,’ Pam giggled.  
‘And I’m glad you were around when the priest asked for interjections,’ Jim said.


End file.
